ROBERTO MANCINI joked he will need the help of the Manchester police to stop the player he believes will shortly be crowned the best in the world.

After three years of domination from Lionel Messi, Mancini thinks the coveted Ballon d’Or should go to Cristiano Ronaldo this time.

He is just praying the Real Madrid superstar does not enhance his claims with a super show on his first return to Manchester tomorrow and kill off City’s faint hopes of reaching the Champions League knock-out stages.

“I hope he can have a bad night, or they leave him at home in Spain. Otherwise we’ll have to call the police!” said City manager Mancini.

“Players like Ronaldo and Messi are so difficult to mark.

“You have to work so hard and concentrate as a team against them, but they are the best players in the world and they are capable of scoring one or two goals every game.

I hope he can have a bad night, or they leave him at home in Spain. Otherwise we’ll have to call the police!

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini

“Ronaldo deserves to win the Ballon d’Or because he scored a lot of goals last year to help Real win La Liga ahead of Barca.

“It’s an important game for him coming back to Manchester for the first time but, remember, it is also an important game for Real. They still need points to make sure of reaching the second stage.”

Ronaldo is a better player now than when he left Manchester United in the summer of 2009, having won every major trophy – team and individual – during his six seasons at Old Trafford.

In those six years he made 292 appearances (244 starts, 48 as a substitute) and scored 118 goals with former boss Sir Alex Ferguson recalling that in his last season “he made five chances in every match”.

His statistics since joining Real are even more daunting: 165 goals in 162 games with an incredible 124 coming in 113 La Liga outings.

The good news for Mancini is that Ronaldo recorded a rare blank at the weekend as Real beat Athletic Bibao 5-1, and he has bitter- sweet memories of City’s stadium.

In his six seasons with United he played at City on five occasions, missing one game because of suspension, losing three and winning the other two. He scored the penalty that clinched the title for United there in May 2007 but was also sent off twice, on both occasions controversially.

The first red card was shown by referee Steve Bennett in a 3-1 defeat in 2006 for a late tackle when he did not actually make contact with Andy Cole; the second was brandished by Howard Webb in December 2008 for a second caution when he bizarrely handled the ball from a corner claiming he had heard the referee’s whistle.

The bad news for City is Ronaldo comes to Manchester with a burning sense of grievance and, no doubt, desperate to enhance his enduring popularity with United fans by dumping their neighbours out of the competition.

Despite helping Real to the Spanish championship last season with an incredible 46 goals – he totalled 60 in all competitions – he was overlooked for the player of the season award in Spain as his great rival Messi won it for the fourth time in a row.

To add insult to injury he finished third behind Messi and team-mate Karim Benzema in the best striker or attacking midfielder award.

The fact that Barca’s Andres Iniesta was voted UEFA’s Best Player in Europe in September prompted his surprise declaration that he was “sad” at the Bernabeu. He believes that Real should do more to promote his case, as Barca do for their players. And he wishes the Bernabeu fans worshipped him in the same way Messi is adored at the Nou Camp.

Ronaldo scored Real’s 90th-minute winner in their 3-2 home win over City in September – a result that still frustrates Mancini, who saw his players throw away a 2-1 lead with four minutes left.

Had they held on for the win or a draw in that first group game, Mancini believes City’s fortunes in the group would have been very different. As it is they have taken only two points from home draws against Borussia Dortmund, who outplayed them, and Ajax. “If we had come back from the Bernabeu with a good result it would have probably changed all this group for us,” said Mancini.

“When you are 2-1 up with four minutes to go, you should be very strong to close the game. Now I don’t think we have any chance to go to the second stage.

“We need a miracle. But you never know – football is strange. And for the fans it’s an important game. Three or four years ago City fans were dreaming of playing Real Madrid or Barcelona in the Champions League. Now it has happened and we want to do a good job.”